In the vast tapestry of the world’s bountiful produce, nature has woven together some truly remarkable gems. Among these is an elusive treasure, often overlooked in favor of its more conventional cousins, yet no less deserving of our admiration and intrigue. The tayberry, a silent diva of the berry family, leads a quiet existence, hidden away from the grand stage of mainstream produce. However, those who have had the chance to experience it, to dance with its distinctive flavor profile, know that there’s an untold story waiting to be unraveled, a symphony of taste notes waiting to be conducted.

Let’s delve deeper into the less-travelled path, and embrace the wild, captivating, and deliciously mysterious world of the tayberry.

What are tayberries

Tayberries are berries of a cone shape that are slightly larger than raspberries, at 4 centimeters in length. They are a hybrid of low red raspberry and blackberry. Their place of patenting is Scotland, whose Tay River lends the fruits their name. They grow on thorny vines, for most varieties. The berries’ taste is sweeter than that of most berries, though on the tart side of aroma. It is generally a great raw eat and a choice for sweet recipes because of its low acid content unlike its cousin the loganberry. The berry is firm on the inside but juicy when squeezed.

One of the tayberry problems-really an advantage when you come to think of it-is the fact that the berries easily get crushed during harvest but do well when hand-picked. Therefore, they are mostly available locally in fresh quality because they are not savvy for long distance transport. However, kept in proper refrigeration, the ripe berries can stay firm for long.

Also Read: Kiwi Berries

How to grow and take care of tayberries

Here is a simple guide on planting:

  1. Select a garden with soft, well-aerated and well-drained soil.
  2. Also select a place with few overhead foliage so as to allow the sun to reach the plants which grow to about 6 to 7 feet high (vine length).
  3. Place your tayberry seedling with its root stock in a hole in the ground. Saturate the topsoil with water daily to help it take in enough moisture and sprout.
  4. Keep applying compost manure and natural  fertilizer for a rich fruit formation.

When one thinks about taking care of these adorable climbing vines, tayberry pruning pops up in mind.  It is not a hard process:

  1. Depending on your variety, you need to cut the stem that has just given fruit.
  2. After removing it from the plant, you then need to tie it back to the new growth on the same vine you’ve just harvested.
  3. By next summer, these tied sprouts will be giving you the next harvest.
  4. While at it, prop the vertically growing vines with wires to support their fruit-bearing weight.

Can tayberries be grown in containers? 

Yes, you can grow tayberries in large containers, though this is not recommended. Most plants require well-drained free soil which small pots may hinder. Thus, if it is a must to grow this heavy crop in a pot, then choose very big containers that are equipped with fertile soil to ensure proper root development.

Tayberry varieties

The botanical name for the tayberry is Rubus fruticosus x idaeus. This patented hybrid has at least three varieties:

  • ‘Nameless’ thorny variety of a floricane nature. When looking for cheap tayberry plants for sale, this is the handiest and readily available as it is the common type.
  • Buckingham: A late 1990s addition to the tayberry cultivar. It has no thorns on its canes and provides classic smooth berries of full length of 4 centimeters.
  • Medana: A great choice for those who prefer fruit piles that hang down on vines.

What does a tayberry taste like?

The taste of tayberry is sweet with tart hints. It is not as acidic as its fellow Rubus genus members such as loganberries and thus makes great jam and sweet cooked recipes. Thus, if you are wondering what tayberry is good for other than eating raw, now you know that the deep magenta ripened fruit has affinity for rich jam-making.

How to eat tayberries

The best way to enjoy tayberries is to consume them raw and whole after washing them. The freshly picked ripened berries will by then have turned from a deep scarlet to a mouthwatering deep purple hue. However, if they are overripe, you may make sauces out of them by squeezing them over traces of sugar and cream and serving them with cakes. You can also drink them as tayberry wine.

Where to buy tayberries

If you are looking for tayberry plants for sale or just want fresh tayberries in the market, you will most probably find them in your local grocer’s or cold store. Specific producer markets include:

  • Johnson Berry Farm in Tacoma, Washington State.
  • Bolles Organic Farms in Everett, WA.
  • West Union Gardens, in Portland, Ohio.

For price insights, please check the berries price trends in the United States, including blackberries, mulberries,raspberries, loganberries and juniper berries.

Other names of tayberries and where the names are used: countries/languages

Tayberries have similar name sounds in many languages around the world, but here are a few country names for the deep red berry:

Europe

  • The Germans call them Taylorberry
  • The French:  Tayberry
  • Latin-speakers:  Idaeus
  • Greeks:  Vatomouro
  • Georgian speakers: T’eibri

Asia

  • Arabs refer to them as Taybyry
  • Indian Gujarati speakers:  Teyaberi
  • Vietnamese: Tay dau
  • Chinese: Tai bo li

Africa

  • South African Zulu call them I-tayberry
  • Sudanese: Tayberry
  • Amharic speakers in Ethiopia: Tayberry

Tayberry availability/season

If you are timing when the dark red berries are about to turn into a deep magenta, then you will find them in season around summer.  US growers encounter little or no Tayberry problems since they grow well in USDA zones 5 to 10, especially in the American Northwest.  They are available in the market after their June to July harvesting period in North America.

Tayberries nutritional value

Major nutrients include:

  • Water at 85.75 grams per 100 grams of fruits.
  • Sugar at 4.42 grams per 100 grams.
  • Dietary fiber at 6.5 grams per 100 grams or 20.3 percent of the daily value.
  • Other nutrients like folate and flavonoids which are known for anti-inflammation and anti-arthritis abilities.

Tayberry uses

There are numerous uses of tayberries from raw eating to being relished as fruit pies, jams, sauces and baked foods.  They also make sumptuous  butter pudding and canned foods that are available in cold stores.

History of tayberries

Tayberries were first crossed from blackberries and scarlet raspberries by Derek L. Jennings, who patented them in 1979.

Though not native to the UK, the tayberry obtained its name from the Tay river in the Scottish highlands. It is widely propagated in Europe and North America.

Tayberry recipe ideas worth trying

What is tayberry good for if not for eating raw or making grand recipes?

Here are some delicious recipe ideas you can try:

1. Pudding making

The buttermilk pudding with tayberry requires the following ingredients:

  • 350 milliliters of buttermilk
  • Four sheets of gelatine
  • 50 grams of sugar
  • 250 milliliters of cream
  • 100 ml of elderflower oil.
  • 180 grams of tayberries

Miix the tayberries with sugar and heat for three to four minutes. Next, add the mixed solution of butter, gelatine and other ingredients to the pudding and serve when still hot.

2. Soft jam

The Nigel Slater jam recipe requires these simple ingredients:

  • 800 grams of tayberries
  • 800 grams of sugar jam

Place the 800 grams of tayberries inside a pan containing 800 grams of sugar jam. Next, place the mixture on low heat till it broths for about six minutes. Remove the solution, put it into jars, keep them in a cooler and later serve them with pancakes.

3. Sundae cheesecake

This works with ripe tayberries, which you squeeze into juice, then pour this on top of a cheesecake and enjoy the tart yet sweet combination.

4. Classic jam

You need just three ingredients that include mostly:

  • Tayberries
  • Sugar
  • Jam

You need to ensure the softness of your berries before adding the boiled sugar that is also added on the jam. Use little sugar for tayberries because they are already naturally sugary. Keep the mixture in cooled jars to preserve the tayberry jam.

Loganberry vs Tayberry

Both loganberries and tayberries are crosses of other berry fruits. They both emanate from blackberry and raspberry hybrids and thus are similar with these main differences:

  • While both are long and cone shaped, loganberries are slightly longer
  • While both are succulent and juicy, loganberries have more juice than tayberries.
  • Loganberries are more acidic than tayberries
  • Both have almost equal content of pectin, vitamin C